The Spirit of the Law
by Dale Smelser As noted in a recent class discussion, Christians dedicated to living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), are derided for trying to keep the letter of the law, when their efforts rather should be expended on keeping the spirit of the law, whatever that is. On…
Read MoreHow did David get forgiveness and why is it different after Christ’s death?
Question: How did King David get forgiveness and why is it different after Christ’s death? Answer: First, let’s make it clear that David lived under a different covenant with God than we do today. See “Why We Don’t Follow the Old Testament” for details. Still, there are similarities, which should be expected since both the…
Read MoreWhat right does anyone have to preach to others about not having the joy of intimacy when in a relationship?
Question: I am a 43-year-old woman who, yes, believes in God. I’ve been happily married for 20 years and have three wonderful, caring children of which one was born out of wedlock. My question is what right does anybody have to preach to other youngsters about them not having the joy of intimacy when in…
Read MoreWhere does the Bible say Jesus will return a third time?
Question: I’ve been a fan of Bible.ca for along time. One question that haunts me is this: With Matthew 24 fulfilled (I do believe this) where does God’s word tell us Christ will come a third time? ( 1. birth – 2. A.D. 70 -3. ?) and what about passages like Ecclesiastes 1:4 “[One] generation passeth…
Read MoreWhat was the source of the water used to fill the bronze sea?
Question: What was the source of the water used to fill the bronze sea? Answer: The Bible doesn’t mention what water was used to fill the bronze sea. Jerusalem had numerous pools and we know from archeology that Solomon has several underground cisterns hewn into the rock. Ecclesiastes 2:6 mentions that Solomon did build pools.…
Read MoreIf I divorce my wife, can I get remarried?
Question: Please help me. I came across your web site and your Bible-based answers to many questions seemed right on point with the Word of God. I have asked many pastors about my situation and gotten many different answers. My situation is complex but I will try to get to the point quickly. I have…
Read MoreIs only Yahweh God’s name?
Question: In “The Divine Name,” you did not explain the name YAHWEH/YHWH and how it was taken out of the Scriptures. God, Lord, Father are all titles(mother, daughter, son, worker), but not His true name. Please explain verse Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds,…
Read MoreShould a person who was sprinkled be baptized again?
Question: I’ve been reading your answers regarding questions on baptism. Since you believe you have to be immersed in water to be properly baptized, would a person need to be baptized again if they were not immersed in water? I ask this because so many people are baptized with just the sprinkling of water. Answer: See: What…
Read MoreSocial Compatibility or Scriptural Compatibility
by Warren E. Berkley Many who read this article will immediately know what I’m going to describe. You are members of a small congregation somewhere in the United States. Due to the economics and mobility of urban life and suburban careers, your membership has dwindled and the budget is strained. Yet, you still do everything…
Read MoreIs it a sin for my girlfriend to give me a handjob and for me to finger her?
Question: Is it a sin for my girlfriend to give me a handjob and for me to finger her? We’ve already done both, and I’m starting to feel kind of guilty over it. I don’t know if it’s considered ‘sin’ or not because it isn’t sexual intercourse. We’re both Christians too, and we’re just blinded…
Read MoreIf a person feels they should be a different sex, didn’t God make a mistake?
Question: Hello there! You answered a question for me the other day on transgenderism. I have a few other questions, so this might get kind of long. Transsexuals will say that the body they were born into is a birth defect. How do we know for sure that’s not the case? There are birth defects…
Read MoreDid Jesus die only for the saved?
Question: Can you tell me what exactly our Lord meant when he said in John 10:15 about laying down his life for the sheep? Was that exclusively for the sheep and not the goats, as the Reformed Christians believe? Some Calvinistic doctrine rings true to me. I have some of their literature and preaching tapes…
Read MoreDoes the existence of intersex justify the transgender’s claim of a mistake?
Question: If God does not make mistakes, then how do you explain people that are intersex? I’m not saying God makes mistakes, but I can see how easily someone could argue that since people that are intersex exist, then the gender they were born could easily be a mistake. Answer: When a child forms in…
Read MoreGod didn’t reverse His position on using instrumental music, so why can’t we use them today?
Question: It is funny that in your condemnation of musical instruments in “worship” you fail to address that while the use of them was clearly permitted in the Old Testament, there is no clear reversal of this in the New Testament. If I was going to change my position it would only seem reasonable to…
Read MoreIs it wrong to sit while praying?
Question: Believers in Orthodox churches have the biblical truth about body position during prayer. They stand, or kneel, but not sit, which I was taught is spiritual arrogance before the Almighty. Orthodoxy has lots of truth that evangelical protestants don’t. Remember that Jesus stood to pray. The apostolic church never sat to pray, except for…
Read MoreCan I divorce my husband who has been having children with other women?
Question: I have suffered for 35 years as a submissive wife because I fear the Lord. My husband has left the running of the family to me. Food, education, clothing, homemaking, sickness, etc. He gives me no money but expects to be given money. He has many women in his life including minors. He is…
Read MoreWhat Saves a Person?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Since, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9), it would be sensible to understand that in order to get people saved, God would tell them…
Read MoreWhat Must I Do to be Saved? (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Listening to preachers, pastors, and priests today, one wonders if they could answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” in a manner similar to the apostles. What Must I Do to be Saved? In the very first sermon recorded, Peter convicted the Jews of participating in the death of…
Read MoreAm I considered a Christian?
Question: I believe in God, read the Bible and try to abide by it. When I was a baby I was baptized. I have not gone to church since I was very young, mainly because I can’t seem to locate one that I am comfortable with. A friend of mine asked me the other day…
Read MoreYour website does an excellent job of explaining the Scriptures in an understandable manner
Question: I was sitting here reading from the website “while I probably should be working,” and thought I would send you an email telling you how special your website is at teaching and helping one understand the Scriptures. One of my problem areas is I know what is correct but have trouble understanding and developing…
Read MoreAre Allah and Yahweh the same God?
Question: Hi, Many people believe that Allah and Yahweh are the same God though they have very different characteristics that I don’t think they’re the same. However, since the Arabs are Ishmaelites they obviously know God. Could it be that Allah is a partial interpretation of Yahweh that came about because the founding fathers of…
Read MoreDoes the feeding of the 5,000 show we should feed people when we teach them?
Question: Matthew 14 says Jesus fed and healed the 5,000. He said they do not need to go away hungry, give them something to eat. Should we take this literally as an example and feed, help, and teach the lost? Answer: You are seeing what you want to see in this example instead of what…
Read MoreDo humans become angels when they die?
Question: Do humans become angels when they die? If no, what are they and were they before us? Do they have their own planet? Any information on angels would be helpful. Answer: No, humans do not become angels after death. It is true that after the resurrection, we will have new, spiritual bodies. “So also…
Read MoreIs Cain the son of the serpent?
Question: Eve thanks God for buying a child with God. God never talked to Eve, only the snake did. Is she calling the snake God? Cain built a city, for who? Who did he marry? How did he have the skills? Chapter 4: Cain’s offspring contributed to society’s advancement, but they are not listed as…
Read MoreDoes Acts 2 justify churches helping the poor in the general population?
Question: In Acts 2 Christians were selling their property and giving to those in need. Were these individuals giving to individuals or individuals giving to the church and the church giving? If it was the church giving, were they giving to non-Christians or Christians only? I’ve heard this scripture used for the church giving to…
Read MoreCan a preacher serve as a chaplain?
Question: I was asked what I thought about a preacher serving as a chaplain for the Police Department. My stand is “no” because it leaves the impression that we are in fellowship with the denominational world (II Corinthians 6:14). I was asked to serve as a Chaplain for a hospital and refused because one of the…
Read MoreCan a church purchase a wheelchair to help transport a frail member?
Question: Recently one of our elderly lady members had such chronic pain that she could barely move. Her health is deteriorating rapidly. She does not drive; one of our members has to pick her up when she feels well enough to attend worship services. They had a difficult time transporting her out to the car. One of…
Read MoreDoes God only accept willing service?
Question: Is doing something you don’t want to do, but you’re only doing it for God counted as valid for Him? Or not doing something you’d like to do because of God, is it valid? I mean, what if He doesn’t accept us doing something that we’re not “willing” to? Answer: “But what do you…
Read MoreYour web site proved to be a tremendous help
Question: Hello, I am an assistant pastor at a church in my hometown and I stumbled across your site while researching a subject that some in our congregation have asked me for council on. I just wanted to thank you for the practical advice for Christian living on your site. It proved to be a…
Read MoreShould everything I do be done in plain sight?
Question: I read through John recently, and John 3:20-21 stood out to me. I can’t quite make sense of how to apply it. My understanding is that I should do everything in plain sight so that everyone can observe that I’m doing nothing wrong. But I’m unsure of how far it extends. If someone were…
Read MoreIs it a sin to love a girl who is underaged?
Question: Is it wrong to be in love with an under-aged girl? Even to believe that you are made for each other and you can’t imagine life without her? God has recently called me, and I’m leaving so much of what’s in my life behind. I can’t imagine a life without her. I see her…
Read MoreI found just the picture I needed for the bulletin this week
Question: I would like to thank you for your excellent gallery of pictures. I needed a picture for our bulletin this week and I have been online for several hours looking and just happened upon your website and found what I was looking for. It is a wonderful thing to find beautiful pictures concerning the Word…
Read MoreIf I don’t tell my wife I sinned, isn’t that lying?
Question: Hello. I’ve been reading through many of the posts on your site regarding adultery and lying. I have found much of it to be very helpful, but I am struggling with some of what you advise. In several of the posts on adultery, you advise the person who committed adultery that it would be best to…
Read MoreYour article on the difference between sexual desire and lust confirmed what I was thinking. Thanks!
Question: I found your site via the Bing search engine. I wanted to know the difference between sexual desire and lust. You confirmed a lot of things I’ve been thinking. I think many people make the mistake of associating sexual attraction with lust. And like you said, it is unnatural for people not to experience…
Read MoreWhy are the counts of the Levites off in Numbers 3?
Question: Okay, so I know this is probably going to sound like a pointless question, since it’s just about numbers of people in Numbers, and population censuses are usually rounded off anyway, but why do the rules change throughout the taking of the census? What I mean is, when Moses tallies up all the men…
Read MoreWould it be wrong to not want my daughter to marry an African-American?
Question: I have been struggling with a particular problem and I’m am trying my best to change, but I really do not know if it’s a sin or not. I am not racist or prejudice, I love everyone and I have friends of all races. I plan on having kids one day and for some…
Read MoreHow can I get to heaven if I’ve told a lie?
Question: I was pondering this question. Jesus states that those who are liars, murderers, etc. will not inherit the kingdom of God. In Revelation, it states “And nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”…
Read MoreWhy do those who claim to prophesy or speak in tongues scare me?
Question: In my church when people receive the Holy Spirit they scream and jump and do all sorts of weird stuff. One time, when I was at Sunday school, the teacher said: “You have to ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, ’cause if you don’t want the Holy Spirit, there is…
Read MoreWhy Did God Have Children Killed?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WhyDidGodHaveChildrenKilled.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Samuel 15:1-9 I. Some questions, by their very nature are difficult topics to take up. The things discussed make us queasy. A. Yet, you will find that those opposed to Christianity will often attack with these same topics for the very reason that they know it makes you uncomfortable.…
Read MoreThe Sacrifice of Isaac
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SacrificeOfIssac.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 22:1-14 I. There are stories that cause some concern because they involve the concept of sacrificing a human being to God. A. They cause concern because the Bible is very clear about God’s opinion on human sacrifices. B. The slaying of humans invokes a death sentence – Genesis 9:5 C. False…
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